In Arusha, Tanzania with Diane Terry, Sandy Stein and Mimi Culvahouse Hardy. We're touring the area, getting ready to welcome our group tomorrow, and sharing our great stories from our climb!

What a tremendous experience it has been and continues to be. We have all enjoyed/endured our own Private Journey- life changing moments on this trek- and are totally satisfied with our ability to climb, sometimes for as long as eight hours a day to altitudes of 15,000 ft and above in some of the most extreme and diverse stomping grounds imaginable! Wow!

Here at a lower altitude we are getting in touch with local color via our wild rides down the mountain by jeep, through the countryside, jam packed full of fellow dusty passengers, some local scientists, tanzanian college students turned porter for a day bout foisted off the mountain by altitude as we were along with some very endearing porters, not to mention assorted other riders we picked up along the way. (Tanzanians are tickled by our Westerner ways of allowing only as many passengers as there are seats!)

Today we will tour local markets, small women's businesses, sustainable endeavors such as local cheese factory, and a buzzing farmer's market. The adventure continues to unfold in this bustling Tanzanian city.

We look forward to meeting up with the rest of our crew after their descent at the exit gate at Kilimanjaro National Park on Sunday with a cooler of Kilimanjaro brews to celebrate their special journey over the top. Our hearts and minds are there with them. We know where they are and what they are enduring to be there... and are SO proud of them, our strong porters, cooks and trusty guides!

God be with you there on the mountain my friends!

--Leslie

ps. We will attempting to update with more photos soon.